C.S. Lewis, in his book The Weight of Glory, said “We may never, this side of death, drive the invader out of our territory, but we must be in the Resistance, not in the Vichy Government.” The Vichy Government was the regime in France that surrendered and then submitted to Germany in World War 2. They basically became a puppet government for Nazi Germany. They sold out their own people. We have become familiar to the point of uncaring boredom with the quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer that says, “Silence in the face of evil is in itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” Moving words, but too large of a majority of citizens in the United States see them as just words. Evil that was gaining a foothold has now become a stronghold. One can see many of the Vichy Government authoritarian and collaborationist traits displayed on a daily basis in our country. As Bonhoeffer said, we must stick a spoke in the wheel of this evil to stop it. We must stand and be counted regardless of the cost.
Like Vichy France, a country divided in loyalty to what is right and decent is a country that is dying. One must at some point stand against what is unjust. What is outright evil and has no place in God. We in America are at the door of welcoming more evil every day. We’re watching Trump and his acolytes run roughshod over our Constitution and rights of men. There are some in the church that still try to say that this is God’s man. God did not put him in. Hate did. Prejudice did. Selfishness did. Envy, lying, enriching oneself to the detriment of others did. Abusing, hurting, raping and turning a blind eye to this evil did. Satan did. Vichy France looked to themselves, knowing full well they were complicit in deaths of their fellow countrymen and the deaths of Jews handed over to the Nazis to be exterminated. And we watch as little children are rounded up and traumatized. As people are set up as they follow the law and arrive at their hearings on citizenship only to be arrested. We watch as jack booted U.S. Nazi thugs beat people without fear of repercussion. We watched as Renee Good and Alex Pretti were murdered live on camera for all to see and then watch as the perpetrators appear to walk free. Not much different than the Vichy government capitulating to a Nazi regime.
I feel we have a small window where strength in numbers dissenting with volume might make a difference. Where voices that matter can speak fervently and demand change. Where people standing in mass, in numbers, can cause those on the fence to see the folly of being fearful or undecided. Where those truly guilty of crimes against humanity can be brought to justice. Those that held puppet positions in the Vichy government were either imprisoned for life or executed. I just want them removed forever. Some imprisoned. But gone. And I’d love for the “church” to be convicted to the point of falling on their face before God for the evil they helped bring in. Jesus was quite clear in His words to the priests and Levites in Luke 10 regarding the Good Samaritan. Their inaction in the face of suffering allowed evil to proceed. He sees all. It’s better to read and embrace His words now rather than stand before Him on the day of judgement and hear a tougher message. James 4:17 is quite clear in what it says. “To him who knows to do good and does not, to him it is sin.” We must stand for righteousness. For decency. To protect the marginalized. To call out evil for what it is. For our voices to be heard even if it makes those on the fence uncomfortable. Do not become comfortable in anything resembling a Vichy regime. We must pray without ceasing. Stand! Blessings.
Stand My Watch 